The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Avon RB Caffey becomes county’s premier recruit
Entering junior season, All-Ohioan has eight D-I offers, including Big Ten, MAC and ACC
Avon football coach Mike Elder has had his eye on running back Jakorion Caffey since he was in middle school. At that point, Elder said he knew Caffey was going to be special.
Fast forward almost three years later, the soon to be junior is receiving attention from Division I caliber college football programs.
“(Caffey) came to Avon when he was in eighth grade and we knew that he was special then, watching him run the ball in middle school games,” said Elder. “As a freshman, he played a little bit for us (on varsity). As a sophomore, he became our featured (running back) and he is certainly one of the top (running backs) in the state of Ohio.”
Caffey became a Division II second-team All-Ohio selection in 2021, rushing for 873 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground. He showed to be a dual-threat out of the backfield with 132 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
“(Caffey) is an every-down back, because he pass protects well. Obviously, he is special and smooth with the ball in his hands,” said Elder. “He has tremendous hands catching the football out of the backfield as well. He can block, run and catch. Those guys are hard to find.”
According to Caffey, he was not as much a receiving threat at first. As he improved in the passing game, he noticed how college coaches give more running backs looks if they can catch the ball.
“I am an all-around running back. It is always good to be versatile and keep the defense thinking. … College coaches love that. Not everyone has that. I have the ability to be versatile and do everything on the field,” said Caffey.
Caffey has eight Division I offers from schools in the Big Ten, ACC and the MAC after participating in several college football camps this summer.
“(The colleges see) my talent and my character. They see that I am a good teammate. I am always helpful. I am coachable. I am always willing to do whatever (it takes) to help the team. I am a team player and never selfish,” said Caffey.
A big priority for Caffey’s commitment is the college’s coaching staff. He want to make sure that he is in the right situation to be successful on the field and in the classroom.
“Football can end any day. It’s sad to say. You definitely want a good college that has a good coaching staff, good academics for you and support you all around,” said Caffey.
According to Elder, Caffey is a soft-spoken player who lets his game do the talking and is beloved by all his teammates
for his unselfishness.
“There is not a selfish bone in (Caffey’s) body. He only cares about the team and our team’s success. If he can help us win, that is good enough for him,” said Elder. “It is sometimes refreshing to have a kid with his talent level, but so humble and willing to make it more about others than about himself.”
Coming from Clyde, he is grateful to be in the Avon football winning culture as a five-time defending regional champion.
“I am blessed to be in Avon, because I probably wouldn’t get as much support anywhere else as they do in Avon… Without Avon, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today,” said Caffey.
Just like his offseason in 2021, he’s continuing to grow for the 2022 season. Caffey grew an inch to be 5-foot-11. He also packed on 10 more pounds to weigh in at 200 thanks to the weight room program.
Caffey squatted 445 pounds with a bench press of 275, a 30-pound improvement from the beginning of the offseason.